Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory stands on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus near Didcot in Oxfordshire. It began as two separate laboratories in the 1950s and 1960s before merging into its current form in 1979. The site employs about 1,200 staff who support work for more than 10,000 visiting scientists and engineers. Its programme aims to train researchers and drive economic growth through scientific achievement. The laboratory is named after physicists Ernest Rutherford and Edward Appleton. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory hosts some of the UK’s most important scientific facilities. The ISIS Neutron and Muon Source produces beams used to study materials at the atomic level. The Diamond Light Source synchrotron accelerates electrons to generate intense light for experiments. The Central Laser Facility provides powerful laser systems for researchers across Europe. Other resources include computing grids, microelectronics support and renewable energy research units. Visitors find a working research campus with large experimental halls and control rooms. The ISIS facility houses a proton accelerator that feeds neutrons into beamlines for experiments. The Diamond Light Source has a circular building housing a 561-metre circumference storage ring. The Central Laser Facility operates high-power lasers in dedicated laboratories. The campus also includes offices, workshops and data centres supporting national and international projects.